2007 Men's National Player of the Year Division I/II

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 2, 2007) - The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced this evening that Pepperdine University junior setter Jonathan Winder has been named the 2007 AVCA Division I-II Men's National Player of the YearSM.

The presentation was made at the NCAA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship Banquet on the campus of The Ohio State University. The banquet was held in conjunction with the NCAA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship, to be played May 3 and 5 in St. John Arena on Ohio State's campus.

Winder, a native of Irvine, Calif., is second in NCAA Division I-II with 13.34 assists per game, and has led the Waves to a .345 hitting percentage, good for fifth in the nation. Winder has set Pepperdine to a 22-1 record so far this season, after missing the first five matches due to a preseason injury. The Waves, regular season champions in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF), are the top seed in the upcoming NCAA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship semifinals. They will square off with IPFW on Thursday, May 3 for the right to play for the National Championship on Saturday, May 5.

"Praise God!," said Jonathan Winder upon receiving his award. "I've been blessed to be able to be with Coach Dunphy and Pepperdine. I just give all the glory to God for this accomplishment."

Winder, the MPSF Player of the Year, was second in the league in assists per game (conference matches only) with 13.06, and led his team to a .328 hitting percentage in conference play. He was also fifth in the conference in digs per game with 2.10, and averaged 1.04 blocks per game. The Waves won an MPSF-record 21 matches in conference play, en route to their fourth MPSF regular season title since 2002.

Pepperdine, 26-2 overall enters the National Semifinals ranked first in the CSTV/AVCA Division I-II Men's Top 15 Coaches Poll, having held the top spot every week since February 19.

Winder was one of two Pepperdine players named to the 2007 AVCA Division I-II First Team All-AmericaSM earlier today. He has now been named to an AVCA All-America Team in all three of his seasons at Pepperdine, garnering second team honors in 2005 and 2006. Winder also earned the AVCA Division I-II National Newcomer of the Year in 2005.

In the 17-year history of the AVCA Division I-II Men's National Player of the YearSM award, a Pepperdine player has now been honored five times, the most of any program. Winder joins George Roumain (1998 and 1999), Brad Keenan (2002) and Sean Rooney (2005) as Waves' award recipients.

AVCA Division I-II Men's National Player of the YearSM2007: Jonathan Winder (Pepperdine)